The Mediator
by Sarcastic Musician
Summary: Run in with Maggie's ex. Alex gets a smidge jealous.


You all are way too sweet. Thank you for all your reviews and support! Hope you like this one.

* * *

Kara and Winn had descended into amicable silence as the typing of Winn's keyboard synced with her own. A few comments had been thrown about in the minutes since concentration had fallen over the duo. A curious _"what's another word for impotent?"_ results in an arched brow and confused " _what kind of article are you writing?_ ," only for the room to grow quiet again.

Kara's ears pick up the sound of her sister's tense voice as it mumbles within the elevator, the voice of Maggie mumbling back.

Flipping her laptop closed, she is careful in setting it beside her perch on an empty portion of Winn's desk. Unsure of what has Alex so tense, she prepares for the worst.

 _Was Noonan's shut down?_

Training her eyes on the elevator doors, her smile dims as tension and annoyance roll off her sister in waves.

"Uh oh." Winn whispers, swiveling his chair to come to a stop beside Kara's form. "What has Alex so-" He stops as the whispered argument becomes clear enough to hear.

"She was not-"

"Oh, really?" Alex's hurt colors the question with a sarcastic flare

"Really."

"I thought you were a detective." Alex comments somewhat shrinking back as her eyes meet the fire in her girlfriend's

Maggie stops her stride, crossing her arms she replies with a sour, "You're saying I'm not a good-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kara's voice rings out. Alex and Maggie seem to recoil at the realization their conversation is not quite as private as they had assumed. "What's going on?"

Sharing an annoyed glance, the couple move closer to the seated pair. Maggie taking up residence a few paces opposite Kara and Winn, with her signature neutral stance even as her eyes burn with annoyance. Meanwhile, Alex finds her way to her sister's side lips devoid of their usual Maggie-caused smile, eyes just as annoyed (and maybe a tad green if one were to be poetic).

"I'm waiting."

Eye rolls and a bit of shuffling are her immediately reply.

A sigh.

"Maggie's," Alex begins, staring at the woman across from her, "girlfriend showed up at lunch."

"I thought you were-" Winn's completely confused words are left to be forgotten as Maggie interrupts, voice calm and contained.

"Jesus. Alex, you're my girlfriend."

"She didn't seem to think she was an ex." Alex volleys back, hands taking up position on her hips

"I don't see how that could be considering I introduced you."

"I bet you ten dollars she never took a glance at me."

"Her loss."

"Maggie." Alex bites out, taking a breath to calm her jealousy, "This isn't funny."

"I'm not saying it is, Alex."

Before Alex can dig herself in any deeper, Kara decides to jump in.

"You ran into Maggie's ex at lunch?" Alex's nodding head has her continuing, "Um, was she civil? I could always go- you know- do the –uh- punching thing?" She finishes awkwardly landing her fist in her other hand

"She was fine, Kara. Don't worry." Maggie replies with a soft smile, "Besides, slugger here would've beat you too it, I'm sure."

"Civil? You call that- what just happened- civil?"

Maggie's eyes lose some of their annoyance as they're replaced with swirls of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You honestly didn't notice?" The scoff barely catches in her throat

"Apparently, I'm a horrible detective so you shouldn't be so shoc-"

"You know I didn't mean that!"

"What did she do, Alex?" Kara tries to mediate, keeping her gaze calmly roaming between the two (unlike Winn's painful looking ping-pong stare)

"I'd like to know that, too." Maggie replies moving closer to lean against the opposite end of Winn's L-shaped desk

Taking in a shaky breath, Alex releases it trying to find an order to the scenes that had been assaulting her mind for the last twenty minutes.

"There was the _hug_."

"Ooo a hug." Winn mumbles under his breath, gulping a bit at the fierce look covering Alex's face

"It was a hug. Uncomfortable, sure. But, I've hugged everyone in this room and that was never a problem."

"This is different and you know it."

"I told her we would be friends, it's what you do when you break up with someone." Maggie replies, eyes rolling, "Friends hug."

"Have you slept with anyone else in this room?"

The glance Alex shoots to her side flashes over Kara and Winn. Winn's eyes widening as anxiety boils in his stomach.

"What the hell?" Maggie glares, eyes locked with Alex, "Oh, did I forget to mention it? I decided to experiment with Winn, here. Must've slipped my mind."

"Don't joke like that! You're going to get me killed!" Winn yelps, leaning back in his chair to keep Kara between him and her sister's glare. "She was joking! She was joking!" He finishes, raising his hands in surrender

"Relax. I know." Winn's heartbeat begins to normalize, "Besides, you know what I will do to you if you ever try."

"Still waiting for you to get to the point, Danvers." Maggie replies eyes roaming the faces of Kara and Winn in confusion

"You slept with her." Noticing the lack of understanding in Maggie's eyes, Alex continues, "You slept with her and she hugged you."

"Can't say I remember that night very well but-"

"Maggie." Kara interrupts, noticing the turmoil coating her sister

Letting out a breath and regaining her control, Maggie glances at the ground before nodding.

"What was so wrong with that? I know it was awkward, God, I had to freaking hug her! How do you think I felt about it?"

Alex's eyes seem to lose a bit of their anger as Maggie's voice and presence relax. Instead jealousy and insecurities flare, unhappy at being masked by the annoyance.

"You didn't have to hug her. And, no, that's not the only reason. Fine, I get it. I saw you freeze up and try to deflect it. I did." Alex admits, forcing herself to re-watch the scene on loop. "What I don't understand is why it was so long."

"Oh, thank god." Was definitely not the reply any of them thought would be released on Maggie's relieved breath

"You thought it was long too! It felt like ten freaking years, girl needs to learn personal space if you ask me."

"Twenty years, actually."

The lightness in Alex's teasing tone accompanies the departure of a bit of the hurt hanging over her shoulders.

"What happened after that?" Kara questions, monitoring her sister's hurt and basking in the concern she can see Maggie exerting

"The touching."

"I know."

"Why did she do that? I was right there! God, what if she tries it when I'm not there?" Alex mutters eyes narrowed

"Then she'll get a fist sandwich."

"Kara."

"Sorry." She squeaks, inching away at her sister's redirected glare

"We've been broken up for years. I've only run into her once before this, I'd say the chances are thin."

"But there's still a chance."

A beat.

"Look, Alex. There's always going to be a chance. You don't react this way around, Darla. What's really getting to you?"

"To be fair it took her awhile to get over the Darla one."

"Kara!"

"Shutting up."

At Maggie's raised eyebrow, Alex waves her hands as if the movement would clear the words that had just been spoken. "I'm okay with Darla…now. But she doesn't flirt with you, and this girl was definitely flirting."

"Ronnie was not flirting."

Alex's presence took on the oh-shit-she's-got-a-presentation-complete-with-graphs-and-quotes air. Leaning back on her heals she begins, ticking a finger off with each fact.

"The long hug." Tick.

"The hair flip" Tick.

"The, 'oh, Maggie you look amazing!'" Tick and overly high pitched voice.

Winn's ill advised _'I mean she's not wrong'_ is cut off by a not so gentle nudge from Kara's swinging foot.

"Her invitation to hang out sometime. I swear there was a wink." Double tick.

Maggie's eyes stray to a spot along the back wall as she goes over the scene in her head. Yikes, yeah, there was definitely a wink.

"The glance." This tick was more violent than the others, Alex's being becoming tensed in renewed anger reliving this final piece.

"I don't see how a glance could be so bad. You make it seem like this girl tried to make out with Mags on the table or something."

The glare he receives is sharp and terrifying.

"How about we not bring up my ex and I making out, Schott." Maggie directs, eyes not leaving Alex's fiery gaze

"Why don't you tell us what you mean, Alex. Obviously, it's not something Maggie noticed." Kara tries to sooth before tensing and whipping her head to stare at Maggie, "Not that you're not a great detective! Just that-"

"I get it, Kara. Sometimes only the green-eyed monster can pick up on these things." Maggie replies with a comforting smile. "What glance are you talking about, babe?"

The nickname seems to sooth Alex further.

"She was looking at you like, I don't know how to explain it." Alex answers, mind stumbling over the look the woman had leveled at her girlfriend. "It just. It was the love look, the longing look. Like- like, Winn when he sees a sewing opportunity, or Kara when you make your homemade pot stickers."

Trepidation and amazement coat Kara's voice when she breaths out, "The pot sticker look?"

"The fucking pot sticker look." Alex spits out

"And she's still alive. You going soft on me, Danvers?" Maggie asks, eyes widening from the news.

Glare.

"I'm not mocking you." Maggie placates, taking steps forward to grasp the hand roughly pulling through Alex's hair in a blatant display of her upset.

"Look." She waits until Alex's jaw unclenches as she meets Maggie's gaze. "I'm sorry we ran into her, and I'm sorry for whatever pitiful look she sent me. But I love you, and I'm with you, Alex." Maggie finishes, running a calming hand through Alex's tussled hair

"I know," A frustrated breath. "I love you, too. I just- I was on that side, you know? I know that feeling and I know how I feel now that I'm with you, now that I'm happy. I just don't want to imagine…"

A kiss silences her turmoil filled sentiment.

"If I have anything to say about it you'll never have to go through that, neither of us will."

Forgetting their audience, Alex feels her stress slink away as Maggie's words and closeness chase them away. She leans in for another kiss only be met with air as Maggie pulls back with her signature smirk.

"How about we finish that lunch at my place." Maggie states more than asks as she makes her way back to the elevators throwing a goodbye back to Winn and Kara as she walks.

Alex takes a moment to watch her retreating form unable to tamp down the smile brightening her face.

"She's going to be the death of me." She mutters, shaking her head at the wink Maggie sends her way

"Go get your pot sticker!" Winn's words shake her from her haze.

"Winn!"

"I'm just saying-"

"Oh god, I'm going to need so much therapy."

Kara's horrified words follow Alex's retreat.

"Ready to go home?"

"With you? Always."


End file.
